Beware of The 21st Century Sabre Toothed Tiger
Navigating the wilds of the modern workplace can sometimes bring out the worst in us all. You strike back, saying or doing something that is totally out of character for you. Let me explain the neuroscience behind this dilemma.
The Pre Frontal Cortex (PFC)
This is the “logical brain”. This brain region has been implicated in planning complex cognitive behaviour, personality expression, decision making, and moderating social behaviour. It's responsible for what we call “executive function”.
The Limbic System
This is the “emotional brain”. It is primarily responsible for our emotional responses, particularly related to survival. It regulates the secretion of fight or flight hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine.
The Story:
You’re stressed and react as if your life was being threatened. An Amygdala Hijack occurs when an immediate and overwhelming emotional response is out of proportion to the stimulus. During a hijack, the amygdala “hijacks” or shuts down the pre frontal cortex. Your emotions escalate and logic is shut off.
This brain functioning served our ancestors well in the caveman days when their life was actually threatened by sabre tooth tigers. So how do we go from cave man survivor to digital age thriver? Learn to control our emotional responses by developing your emotional intelligence.
